Sweet Remembrance
by ocarinrin
Summary: A lost memory, a lost girl, and a terrifying consequence. When Link, an ordinary farmhand, is struck with a temporary amnesia, he is forced on a journey to not only reconcile his mind, but the fate of those dearest to his heart. Zelink multichapter slow burner. Loosely based on Breath of the Wild but not set in the canon universe.


_**This fic has been inspired by the captured memories quest in Breath of the Wild.**_

 _ **So far, I've had a lot of fun writing this, and would greatly appreciate any sort of feedback.**_

 _ **:)**_

* * *

 **Chapter One;**

 **Familiar**

* * *

"Link!"

The call rang in the distance, so faint he was uncertain he had heard correctly. His eyes fluttered open, but the harsh light stung, and his stomach churned with a thick wave of nausea; his eyes snapped shut. He wanted to groan, to release the pain, the confusion, but he stayed silent. He tried to be cautious, just in case.

"Link, please!"

The call sounded closer than before. It felt familiar, somehow, like a friend; something safe. His curiosity overrode his judgement, he cracked his eyes open slowly, fighting against the light, against his desire to fall back into a slumber. He let himself adjust, let his blurred vision correct itself. His throat was parched, lips cracked, mouth as dry as a desert. He was dehydrated, severely so, and he knew he needed to find help soon. He sat forwards, but was smacked again by sickness – he wasn't going to get used to that.

"Oh, thank heavens you're awake!"

Startled, Link snapped his head to his right, groaning in agony as a pain as sharp as thunder shot through his scalp.

"Oh dear, please, do be careful!"

The voice belonged to a woman. She was of a short and stocky build, and her greying, frayed hair framed her frantic wrinkled face. She seemed kind, though panicked as she buzzed about the room.

"You're going to be okay, I promise," she spoke as if she was trying to soothe his pain with her voice and nothing more. She pulled a stool to sit beside him and gave his arm a gentle pat. It was then Link noticed he was splayed across the kitchen counter, a soft pillow under his head with an old tattered blanket to keep him warm. "The elixir is almost ready, you'll be right as rain in no time!"

"H-how…?" he choked, voice cracking.

"Don't you worry about that just yet, I'll tell you everything you need to know as soon as you're feeling better." The pot on the stove bubbled violently, spilling over the edge in a tantrum of red. "Excellent timing!"

Link watched as she hobbled towards her concoction – a foul smelling elixir that he distinctly remembered from his childhood. A small part of him hoped he wouldn't be made to drink such a thing, but he knew better than to rely on wishful thinking. The woman spooned a good amount into the small glass, and he watched the slow thick trail slump towards the bottom. With an expression of glee, she turned towards him.

"Here you go, my dear. You'll be fighting fit in no time!"

Link sheepishly took the elixir, and peered over the top of the rim, as if it were a trap and an unending cavern resided at the bottom. The liquid stared back at him; wasn't red a sign of danger? He gulped, swirled the glass once, twice, thrice for good luck.

"Oh, for goodness sake, boy! Drink it!"

The outburst was startling, and thus Link knocked the entire contents back in one hearty swig. He resisted the urge to grimace, but he knew his expression betrayed him – he never did like taking his medicine.

It was an odd sensation. He could feel it traversing his body, on a mission to scout out his ailment and put an end to the torment. He was warm to touch, but he was beginning to feel better; it was a thing of miracles. He hopped off the table with a body full of vigour.

The woman laughed, "Feeling better? That recipe hasn't failed me yet!"

"What's in it?" Link asked, his curiosity once again getting the better of him.

"That's a tale for another time. For now, there are a few things I need to ask you." She paused, considering carefully how to phrase her question. Link became nervous, he was as unsure of himself as he was of the situation, but he swallowed his anxiety when the woman cleared her throat to speak, "Do you know where you are?"

"I…" Link trailed off. He circled the room, looking from the counter tops to his makeshift bed. It felt strangely familiar, just like the woman did, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Take your time, look around if you need to, there's no rush."

The door to his left opened into a sitting room. It was a cosy space, not intended to host many guests, but it was a place to relax once the day's work was done. Photographs littered the walls; pictures of the woman standing beside what he presumed was her husband. Link smiled to himself, it was a very humbling sight.

"Look closer at those photographs, Link," the woman prompted, watching Link's exploration from the doorway.

He glanced towards a shelf covered from left to right in more framed photographs. He peered closer, that lingering sense of familiarity hanging over him, until something caught his eye.

Stood next to the woman was a young man, dressed similarly to the way he was now. He was holding a broom over his shoulder, with a carefree smile dancing upon his face.

The young man was him.

"I don't understand." Link was confused, he had no recollection of ever meeting this woman. Was he going insane?

"I'm your Aunt, Link. Your Aunty Thilie." She moved closer, her tone gentler than ever. She didn't want to startle him. "You work on this farm with me, and your Uncle Masso."

Like a wave crashing against the shore, memories of his Aunt flooded back to him, and he started to remember.

He remembered kneading dough with his Aunt, covered in flour from head to toe in the sticky summer heat.

He remembered riding through Kakariko with his Uncle, racing over the wooden bridges and splashing through the lakes.

He remembered gathering ingredients for his Aunt's elixirs, but never being allowed to know what item belonged in which recipe.

He was relieved, he knew he was safe. But it wasn't enough to completely melt away his anxiety.

"What happened to me?"

"I don't know, Link. I found you at the bottom of a ditch in Korok Forest, out like a light, and my goodness did you scare me! I rushed you back here as fast as I could, but Epona wasn't too fond of the extra weight," Thilie explained.

"Do you know why was I in the forest?"

"I'm not sure, it was awfully strange of you to disappear like that."

Link racked his brain, hoping for any sort of contextual clue to trigger his mind back into action, but he drew a blank.

"I-I don't remember a thing," he stuttered, but managed to keep his composure. He promised himself he wouldn't panic; he knew nothing would be achieved that way. "I don't remember anything from…just over a week ago, I think?" He tried to think logically, but his entire head felt muddled. He wasn't sure of anything, all of the memories playing through his mind were scrambled together, with no concept of time. He didn't know if what he was remembering happened yesterday or a year ago. He let himself fall backwards onto the couch, rubbing his forehead, praying that he would just _remember._ "Is there no elixir to cure what's happened?"

"If there was, you can bet it's far more advanced than anything I've ever attempted." Thilie sat beside her nephew, hoping any form of familiarity could provide comfort. "I'm certain your memory will return, you were triggered quite quickly by the photographs. You'll see, you'll be absolutely back to your old self in the morning, after a goodnight's rest."

Link was doubtful, but his body felt heavy and his mood was soured. Nothing sounded sweeter than the luxury of his own bed, and so he played along. "I suppose you're right, I should get some rest."

He stood, but was halted by a hand circling his wrist.

"There was one more thing I was hoping to ask, but I'm not hopeful you'll be able to answer."

"I can try."

Thilie nodded. She took Link's hands in her own and gazed past his eyes to stare into his mind, willing him to remember whatever he could. She took a deep breath, and spoke her words in a crisply clear tone.

"Where is Zelda?"


End file.
